The Third Interstellar Wars
by Moon Vanguard
Summary: Set shortly after the Brood Wars, another threat looms yet in the horizon. Please read and enjoy, and feel free to review me on the errors I made.
1. Prelude: A Misunderstood Silence

Prelude: A Misunderstood Silence.  
  
Race: Terran  
  
Leadership: Dominion  
  
Capital: Tarsonis  
  
The Confederacy that was so strong and unwavering before the advent of the Brood Wars lay shattered and destroyed. All remnants of the once strong and militaristic Confederate Administration had been wiped out after Kerrigan's visit to Tarsonis. In the place of the fallen Confederacy was the new Terran Dominion, currently headed by Arturus Mengsk. Arcturus was neither a fair nor benevolent leader, he ruled by repression and force. The general Terran population lived in peace, but trouble makers and rumour mongers, if any, were dealt severely with, usually with a public broadcast of their executions on all networks. A secret government project is in full operativeness on the lone moon of a planet in the Terran Outer Rim Sector 7, or TORS-7...  
  
Race: Protoss  
  
Leadership: Archprelacy and Judiciary  
  
Capital: Aiur  
  
The Protoss race had flourished greatly under Praetor Artanis, and the legacy of the Brood Wars lay forgotten and unspoke of. With the cessation of war, there was a significant number of increase in the population of the Khalai caste, as many Protoss seeked out spiritual fulfilment through art and music. The Templars and Dark Templars were alarmed by this sudden turn of event, as their psychic premonitions had told them that a catastrophe will soon befall Aiur once more, and the Protoss will have to take up arms again. Life on Aiur goes on peacefully for however long that may be, while the Protoss War Council and Fleet Command discussed urgently with the Templars to the counter the threat.  
  
Race: Zerg  
  
Leadership: Kerrigan  
  
Capital: Terran Outer Rim Sector 8, TORS-8  
  
Kerrigan nestled irritably on a lonely planet in the Outer Rim. Following her victory over the United Earth Directorate, she had been biding her time, waiting for the right moments to strike again. The sudden withdrawal of all Zerg forces to the Outer Rim astonished the warring Protoss and Terrans, who took it as defeat on Kerrigan's part. Fools. She had set up bases on the single planet in TORS-8, and on the 4 oribiting moons, commanding her broods to reproduce at a amazing rate of 2,500,000 units per cycle ( A cycle is roughly the equivalent of a Terran month ).  
  
"Only four more months," Kerrigan purred contently, languidly stretching out her winged claws. 


	2. 1 The Silence Broken

Chapter 1: The Silence Broken  
  
Location: TORS-8, Terran Delta Oh Six Nine Mining Colony  
  
The glowing yellowish sun of TORS-8 glared down on the jet black visors of four Terran marines. Two of them stood guard over the battered and broken neosteel entrance of the mining colony, while the other two stood atop precariously built missile turrets and manned the anti-air defences. It was a rather ordinary day, and the small and isolated colony served its purpose, mining out precious vespene gas for the greater good of the Dominion. The only contact the colony had was from the forthnightly arrivals of four Dominion transports to ship away the mined vespene, and the Dominion had felt that it was cost ineffective to equipped it with any form of communications equipment. The Dominion went as far as to strip the garrison from ten marines and four firebats to just four marines. Unbeknowningly to them, the Zerg had settled comfortably in the planet, and were currently massing just 50 miles outside the perimeter of the hapless colony.  
  
A vigilant marine up in the missile turret finally took enough notice of the gathering black mass in the distance to radio to his comrades.  
  
"Ah, Tanaka, didja notice the black mass swarmin' out in th' distance," the marine asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, friend John. Is another Zerg raid?" A gruff voice with a thick Japanese accent crackled back.  
  
"Ah'd betta notify da guys dow' there. You take ah look out." John answered as he leant out of the windows.  
  
"Ahoy! Zack and Mich! Zerg scum, 12 ah'clock!"  
  
"Another of those stupid raids... aren't the Zerg smart enough to send more than just two zerglings to die?!" Zack switched off the radio he was listening to, and loaded his gauss rifle. To his left, Mich pumped two grenade canister rounds into the rifle, and smacked in another cartridge. He then lazily dragged his body into the only bunker between the two missile turrets. Zack smiled wanly and followed suit. He tried to pull the neosteel doors shut, but the rusty and disjointed hinges just would not allow it. He sighed, thinking of how poor the defence of this colony was.  
  
Tanaka lifted the long range thermal binoculars and scanned the barren landscape, save for the spilling hordes of Zerg. He zeroed in on the milling creatures, and spotted ultralisks and hydralisks in the crowd. Squadrons of mutalisks hovered ominously above the Zerg, but what really caught Tanaka's attention was a svelte and lithe woman – make that creature, standing in the heart of the swarm. Tanaka gasped. Was not she a legendary figure? The one who had her hand in the utter destruction of the Confederacy?! Kerrigan swivelled her head and look directly at Tanaka, and this made the stalwart Japanese tremble with fear. He flung down the binoculars, and frantically flipped on the alert alarms and weapons system. He radioed John in a quavering voice.  
  
"Bad, bad, John! Kerrigan! Kerrigan! She here!"  
  
John spluttered in disbelief and looked into the binoculars to confirm the deadly truth. Kerrigan was there all right, and the Zerg hordes were surging forward like a seething wave of black. John cursed, and radioed Zack and Mich in the downtrodden bunker.  
  
"Guys... tis' bad. We've got Kerrigan out there, and she ain't here to give us presents. We have ah horde, ah repeat, we have ah horde of zergs bearin' down on us. Good luck."  
  
Zack froze on the spot when he heard the resigned transmission. His previous remark resonated again and again in his mind... aren't the Zerg smart enough to send more than just two zerglings to die... He gripped the rifle tightly in his hands, his face stony. His glazed eyes followed Mich's movements, who had hurriedly manned the rapid pulse gun in the bunker. His mouth seemed to be moving, but Zack can't figure out what. An infuriated Mich came and punched him on the face.  
  
"What's wrong with you?!" screamed Mich, returning to his post.  
  
"Nothing." It was Zack's best reply, as he woodenly aimed his gauss rifle into the ever-nearing Zerg hordes.  
  
The thundering ultralisks roared with animalistic fury, as the zerglings sped up in anticipation of a bloodbath. The Terran colony loomed even larger as they covered miles of ground in minutes. Powerful hind legs pistoned them forwards, and their frontal claws twitched with desire. The gates were closing! The zerglings diverted their attention to the three gleaming Terran structures in front of the gate. Kerrigan smiled viciously, as she easily kept pace with her lovely zerglings. With her keen eyes, she spotted a total of four greyish gun barrels pointing out of the assorted defence structures. This was too easy.  
  
"On my command... steady... steady..." whispered Mich through the comm unit. He thumbed the lock of the pulse gun nervously, and squinted into the far. Now he can discern the individual zergs in the sea of black. Zack was trembling visibly, and his rifle aim was a bit wild. Tanaka and John held their rifles in one hand, while the other was hovering just above the fire button to unleash the fury of the longbolt missiles stored in the turrets. The four marines looked death in its eyes, and suddenly, the curt command crackled through the comm link.  
  
"All units, fire at will!"  
  
Suddenly, the noisy chatter of gauss fire and pulse rounds echoed in the terrain, as the four marines dutifully poured lead into the zerg hordes. The missile caches of the turrets opened to launch their devastating salvoes of longbolt missiles, which exploded all around the screeching mutalisks. A couple of the mutalisks burst open as the longbolts penetrated their hides and exploded, while others had wings ripped off or destroyed by the mid-air explosions. Nevertheless, enough mutalisks broke through the longbolt firestorm to directly assault the turrets. On the ground, the first few waves of zerglings were pulverized and mowed down by the hail of pulse rounds and gauss fire. The pathetically few spider mines deployed by the Dominion jumped out of the ground and obliterated an ultralisk. A group of hydralisks managed to destroy one mine en route, but the following mine blown them up to shreds. The wave of zerg finally crashed against the Terran defense line.  
  
Tanaka bravely pumped two grenades into the gaping mouths of the mutalisks, before switching to automatic fire. The surrounding mutalisks shot glave wurms at the turret and blew open an opening. A mutalisk screeched triumphantly as it skewered a hapless Tanaka in his guts. Tanaka gurgled in his blood and detonated a plasma grenade in his hand, perishing with the mutalisk. Meanwhile, John sprayed the mutalisks with a maddened grin, shouting curses and obscenities at the mutalisks. Silently, a hydralisk slithered up behind a laughing John and growled deeply. John turned, and an acidified spine pierced his visor. The gauss rifle fired no more.  
  
Mich jumped out of the way as a blade stuck in and destroyed the pulse gun. He eyed his rifle and the nearby zergling before drawing out his pistol. Blam blam! Blam blam blam blam! The zergling slumped to the ground with six gaping holes in its carapace. Mich retrieved his rifle and started pumping grenades into the mass of zerglings who were trying to scale the mounted dead bodies to enter the bunker. Zack turned around and fired his rifle in two short staccato bursts. A hydralisk fell, writhing without its appendages. He was about to lob a grenade out of the bunker when an ultralisk's kaiser blades caught him full in the torso. His body sliced into two, Zack toppled lifelessly face down. Two zerglings jumped in from the gash created by the ultralisk. Mich whipped around, retreating slowly. Another two crawled in from the front, and from the entrance of the bunker the final two approached Mich ominously. Mich backstepped till he leant against the steel wall, facing six predatory zerglings. He opened fire as the zerglings sprung into action. One zergling died in mid-air from the streak of bullets, while the other five converged on Mich, slashing and jabbing fanatically. Mich's death scream was excruciatingly long.  
  
Ten days had passed when the usual convoy of four Dominion transports entered TORS-8. The charred remains of the mining colony immediately caught the convoy captain's attention and he pulled back the convoy at once. Within the space of four hours, the entire Dominion network had been alerted of the untimely demise of Terran Delta Oh Six Nine Mining Colony, and a probing search was to be launched by the nearest battle group to investigate the cause. The Third Interstellar Wars was about to erupt with full intensity.  
  
  
  
Author's note: This is my first ever Starcraft fanfic attempted, do correct me about inaccurate details or weapons. All comments are welcome, and are definitely encouragement for me to update this story. But I will like to inform readers that my updates are irregular, as I'm a 16 year old student studying, and is writing this out of his free time. 


	3. 2 The Clash of Wills

Chapter 2: The Clash of Wills  
  
Location: Koprulu Space Sector 12, KSS-12  
  
Dominion Battle Group Epsilon and her flotilla moved slowly in the deep and inky space. A total of 25 wraiths made patrols and marked waypoints as Epsilon advanced, and the group has three Behemoth-class battlecruisers and eight valkyries. Five hulking and lumbering Dominion transports trailed slightly behind the great battlecruisers, and carried aboard a total of twelve marines, four firebats and four ghosts. The group commodore sat back comfortably in his sleek leather armchair, when suddenly, a beep sounded. He passed a casual glance at the display screens, before straightening up. It was a direct transmission from the Dominion capital, Tarsonis. He flicked on the holographic display and saluted smartly.  
  
"Commodore Zim of Battle Group Epsilon reporting, great leader!"  
  
The wizened and aged face of Arcturus gave a wan smile, and the holographic image spoke.  
  
"At ease, soldier. We have had a bit of... trouble in the Outer Rim, and some investigations are in line there. I believe that you are the nearest battle group to TORS-8?"  
  
Commodore Zim signalled to his ensign, and the ensign replied with a smart salute. He put on his headset, and punched a few keys into the system. Before long, a list of information streamed onto the screen and revealed Epsilon's proximity to TORS-8. The ensign flicked his head and nodded to Zim.  
  
"Leader, you are absolutely right. What orders do you have?" Zim enquired questioningly. Whatever did he ever want with an Outer Rim planet? There's more, I'm sure... His thought process was interrupted as Mengsk spoke in a firm and authoritarian manner.  
  
"I know you are puzzled as to why I'm concerned over such a trivial planet. It is because of the distressing reports I had received from Convoy Group 1555, who reported the mining colony on the planet to be burnt to the ground with no survivors. Later on, the convoy leader admitted not getting in for a closer look, but all this atrocities point towards the Zerg. It could not have been Raynor and his ragtag bunch of raiders, as they're too humane and benevolent to raze the colony."  
  
"I understand, leader." Zim replied without hesitation.  
  
"I want your battle group to investigate the scene thoroughly. It may not be the workings of the Zerg, but to be on the safe side, put your men on their highest alerts and set up a defensive perimeter IMMEDIATELY after you landed on that rock. Do you get me?" Mengsk whispered, as Zim felt the uneasy tension and weight of his speech.  
  
"Yes, leader."  
  
  
  
Time: Approximately three weeks after the attack on the Terran mining colony  
  
Location: Protoss High Council, Aiur.  
  
Two Protoss figures hunched forward, looking down on a glowing coral blue hologram of TORS-8. A solitary blinking ruby red dot blinked incessantly on the hologram, reporting the exact location of the Protoss observer on that planet. One of the Protoss figures straightened up, his cloak billowing slightly with his movements, his face covered with a sash. The other Protoss remained hunched, staring at his own silhouette. He wore the emblem of a Praetor, though he didn't felt particularly like a praetor in that moment.  
  
Zeratul sighed, his glowing eyes dimming for a slight moment. "Hopefully my premonitions are wrong, exalted one." He turned and looked out of the archaic yet intricately carved windows.  
  
Praetor Artanis, the beloved leader and saviour of the Protoss, looked up at Zeratul. He chuckled bitterly and lamented, "It has only been a few decades since the Brood Wars... now another war of such may possibly occur. Are you sure that Kerrigan is reviving her broods for another offensive against us? It has been a while since she had reared her ugly head in any known sightings of Zerg."  
  
"It's only my premonition, exalted one. I cannot guarantee you the truth, but it is in the interests of the Templars and the Judicators to nip the Zerg problem in the bud before it gets any worse... before it gets any more catastrophic." Zeratul whispered quietly.  
  
Artanis nodded dumbly and stared pensively downwards again. Aiur... the Aiur that I resurrected... Are you and your inhabitants ready to fight the dark evil that threatens our existence once more? Are the Protoss mentally and physically prepared to fight?  
  
He found no answer, and it was unsettling and troubling.  
  
  
  
Time: Approximately four weeks after the attack  
  
Location: TORS-8  
  
The first transports landed on the ground, disgorging all infantry units. Marines shouted orders and commands here and there, and the site where the four brave marines had perished suddenly came alive with activity and noise. Marines and Firebats scuttled around like ants, setting up temporary neosteel barricades and emplacing rapid pulse guns and ion cannons. The ghosts generally stood away from the crowd, polishing their canister rifles and scouting the vicinity for enemy presences. The heavier transports from the battlecruisers landed in the defense perimeter, and a total of eight vultures, four goliaths and two siege tanks lumbered out into the open. The siege tanks deployed, their arclite shock cannons glinting in the sunlight. The highly mobile vultures zipped around the perimeter, dropping spider mines as they moved. The towering goliath combat walkers joined their ghost comrades on their recon patrols, providing much needed anti-air support. The last aircraft to touch down on the surface was a science vessel, and out stepped two medics and scientists.  
  
There was little room left for discussion after the general diagnosis of the dead marines and creatures just outside the torn open gates of the colony. Anybody could identify a zerg, thanks to the propaganda efforts of both the fallen Confederacy and the new Dominion. Even the remorseless marines felt disgust when they saw the mutilated and mauled marines in the destroyed bunkers. The presence of a dead and rotting ultralisk signified the immense danger presented on this remote planet. A tank sargeant was relaying the information back to Commodore Zim when a ghost spoke metallically through the all-channels comm link.  
  
"Enemy presence at two o'clock. Expect a mass of enemy units no lesser than that of a Terran army at full strength. Recon squads to return back to the perimeter to aid in the defense. Over and out."  
  
The transmission made was clear and calm, but the primary reaction to the news was definitely not. General mayhem and pandemonium broke out as units scrambled to their positions, constantly strengthening their defenses. It was the only thing to do till the enemy arrived. Overhead, the fleet of wraiths and valkyries jostled into positions, while the battlecruisers took up posts at nine o'clock, twelve o'clock and three o'clock of the perimeter.  
  
Up in the command bridge of the lead battlecruiser, Zim cursed under his breath as ensigns and fleet officers ran here and there co-ordinating the combat activation sequences of the flying behemoths. He looked into the distance and irritably glared at the seething mass of Zerg. He can only hope to ride this out as best as he can... if not, he'll perish honourably in the name of the Dominion.  
  
Klaxons blared as the marines double checked the pulse guns and ion cannons. Firebats experimented with the retrofitted perdition flamethrowers, making sure that their only weapons do not fail them in the worst of times. Tank sargeants fixed their crosshairs on the ever-nearing zerg hordes and fingered the fire buttons. Goliaths whirred their twin autocannons and opened the hatches to the hellfire missiles. The ghosts jumped over the barricades just in time before the activation of the spider mines, locking their canister rifles at the zerg hordes. Zim's husky voice growled over the comm link.  
  
"All ground units, fire only on my command. Do not waste ammo when the fleet commences its preliminary bombardment."  
  
The Terrans gritted their teeth and endured the increasingly near screeches and roars of the Zergs. With a low humming sound, the three battlecruisers powered up their yamato cannons. Wih three huge blasts of anti-matter energies, the entire front section of the Zerg mass lay disintegrated, leaving behind three huge blast craters. The wraiths sprung into action, zipping here and there, crippling the Zerg and slowing down the advance of the hordes.  
  
Kerrigan bared her teeth angrily and psionically sent commands for her mutalisks and devourers to attack the terran fleet from the rear. This was dutifully executed, as wraiths scrambled back to defend the potentially vulnerable battlecruisers. Halo rockets whizzed out of the valkyries and exploded all around the flying zerg menaces and the air battle commenced.  
  
"All ground units, fire at will!"  
  
The storm of gunfire erupted almost instantenously after the command, and everything within five hundred feet of the perimeter became mobile targets. Hydralisks shot acidic spines as they charged forward, while zerglings closed in on the firing infantry. The arclite shock cannons open fire, and there was not a need for accuracy at all. Fire and forget soon became the motto for the tank sargeants. The cannon fire took out groups of Zerg while the ghosts sniped from excellent vantage points with their canister rifles. Spider mines blew up more Zerg and the fragmentation grenades from the vultures disabled and maimed even more. The first wave of Zerg breasted against the perimeter, as zerglings jumped on firing marines. Overhead, the air battle raged on.  
  
Devourers melted wraiths with acid spores, while the glave wurms spat out of the mutalisks punched holes in the battlecruisers. The burst laser batteries onboard the battlecruisers fired, scything down anything organic. Gemini missiles and halo rockets filled the skies, destroying their intended targets. Mutalisks rammed valkyries with animalistic intensity, while the wraiths entangled themselves with the devourers. It was chaos in the skies, with zerg parts falling to the ground and wrecked aircraft plummeting.  
  
Marines struggled with the zerglings, fending off claws and replying with furious swings of their gauss rifles. Claws punctured armor, while gun butts bashed out carapaces. Firebats tussled with the ultralisks, and the ghosts and hydralisks played hide-and-seek with one another. Opportunistic goliaths simply swept the ground with autocannon fire, and vultures took to crushing the defilers. Plague killed both terrans and zergs, and the tides of war ebbed back and forth between the two battling races. Slowly but surely, the terrans were being decimated without replacements, while the zerg replaced every fallen broodling with three or more. Medics tried their best to rescue their fallen, but were helpless without proper equipment. The terran defense line slowly began caving in and disintegrating.  
  
Things did not bode well for the terran fleet. Two battlecruisers went down with multiple hull breaches and the presence of a lone figure in the distance almost destroyed the flagging terran morale. Kerrigan definitely knew when to make an appearance, and where it counts most. She grinned viciously, enjoying the carnage and destruction caused by her broods. Victory was sweet.  
  
The last firebat went down with a kaiser blade sticking out of him, and all that remained of the terran forces were a lone battlecruiser, three valkyries, ten wraiths, two goliaths and four marines. A marine locked in mortal combat with a zergling finally got the upper hand and kicked the zergling off before pumping it full with lead. Four acid spines streaked through the air and embedded themselves in the marine, dropping him as he tried to retreat. Just when things seemed bleak and the Dominion forces resigned themselves to their fates, eight squadrons of 96 wraiths sped in out of nowhere with the colours and patterns of Raynor's Raiders.  
  
"Hello boys, need some help here? Kerrigan is the common enemy here, and I'm here to destroy her, and not you. Firing at me will just seal your fates to either death or infestation." Raynor curtly spoke through the Dominion comm link.  
  
The sudden appearance of so many wraiths gravely upset Kerrigan's plan. Her broods were in no position then and there to counter the new threats, and the nearest forces she could muster were more than fifty miles away. She hissed at the new wraiths, noting the peculiar designs. Hmm... this isn't Dominion reinforcements, it's possibly that of some space pirates. Could it be... Jim Raynor? Kerrigan cast one longing glance at the lead wraith and retreated.  
  
The battle ended with an inconclusive terran victory, as the leaderless Zerg were left to their devices without Kerrigan. The Dominion remnants simply stood back as the Zerg turned on each other, ripping and mutilating. It was a simple matter of mopping up the few Zerg which survived the cannibalism. The enigmatic Jim Raynor and his squadrons of wraiths had mysteriously disappeared after the combat, leaving Commodore Zim a puzzled but grateful man.  
  
In the orbit, the Protoss observer silently recorded the entire battle down, relaying the horrifying news back to Aiur.  
  
  
  
Author's note: I am greatly spurred on by the comments by the reviewers, and will definitely try my best to write more to present to the public. I thank the reviewers for their comments, and will rectify any errors made. Till then, please support my story. Thanks. 


	4. 3 The Requiem of Peace

Chapter 3: The Requiem of Peace  
  
Location: Protoss War Room, Aiur  
  
Four pair of glowing azure blue eyes stared attentively at the recent feed from the lone protoss observer in TORS-8. Almost unerringly, the pairs of eyes dimmed as they watched the Dominion forces torn apart by their foul genetic brothers, the zerg of pure essence. Artanis shook his head dejectedly as he slumped onto the alabaster armchair. Suddenly, Fleet Commander Jondar signalled animatedly for Artanis to view the relay, forgetting all the proprieties and ranks to be observed. Startled by the bold and young protoss's actions, Artanis peered hesitantly into the hologram. He was just in time to catch the entry on Raynor's wraiths, and they proceeded to systematically decimate the remnants of Kerrigan's zerg air forces. A murmur of assent sounded between Tassadar, Artanis and Zeratul as the wraiths mopped up the confused and routed zerg forces. Jondar, typical for his age, whooped with joy and punched his fists on the ivory table. The three older protoss snapped their heads towards Jondar whom gave an abashed look and a very flustered apology.  
  
Zeratul gazed pensively at the youthful and brash Jondar as the others sat down to begin conversing and discussing on the iminent threat the zerg posed. Jondar rose quickly in the ranks to attain his current stature as the overall Fleet Commander of the Combined Protoss Fleets, owing to the highly unusual streak of intelligence and innate strength he possessed. These were the two attributes that, in the protoss beliefs, marked a great leader. Granted the boy was young and budding, he will have to suffice. Zeratul wondered if Jondar would ever crumble in the face of combat and war. Zeratul's reverie was cut short as Tassadar touched him lightly on the shoulders.  
  
"Whatever may be troubling you, Zeratul? The coming of turbulence and death, or is it about someone?" Tassadar spoke quietly, his eyes flickering momentarily to Jondar, before boring into Zeratul's pupils.  
  
"Ah, nothing, most revered one! I was merely thinking about our people... whether they are ready for the bloodshed and onslaughts to come." Zeratul marvelled at how perceptive Tassadar was.  
  
Tassadar's face was one radiating of immense wisdom and knowledge, and his piercing eyes were full of vitality and strength. He was immortalised by the protoss population, who spoke of Tassadar as older than the formation of Aiur and stronger than the entire Judiciary and Temple. He was ancient, but his age had not proved to be a failing, instead it proved to the entire galaxies his strengths. He smiled knowingly, and merely looked at Artanis after Zeratul's careful answer.  
  
"What do you propose, exalted one?" Tassadar spoke.  
  
"Please, my dear brothers, I beg of you never to address me as that and I am to feel more ashamed of Tassadar addressing me so. I want my name back, and I do not wish to live out the rest of my life with an honorary tag." Artanis implored as the others chuckled.  
  
"Is the praetor poking fun at me?" Tassadar smiled faintly, remembering his tag as the 'revered one'.  
  
Zeratul concealed his smile as Artanis was caught off guard. Just when Artanis was about to defend himself, he spoke seriously, "Artanis, this zerg uprising... how do you intend to quell it? How do you intend to stop Kerrigan?"  
  
Artanis noted the urgency in Zeratul's tone, and wearily replied, "At the present moment, our combativeness is at a bare minimal, with little over 30 carriers and 500 plus scouts. Our land forces are even worse, with numbers barely exceeding 20,000. Millions of protoss had quit the army for the arts, and our armies are facing a shortage of manpower. In short, we have the equipment and the machinery, but we don't have the people to work them."  
  
"The terran dominion is no better off than us in their current state. Our intelligence reports have determined that the entire military arm of the dominion had numbers reaching 35,000, with over 22,000 garrisoned sparsely in the many colonies branched out. They have a little over 100 operational battlecruisers and a grand total of 800 or so decent wraiths. However, the terran dominion does have a reserve pool of soldiers numbering ten million who can be mobilised within a year. We simply cannot take on Kerrigan head on, even with an unlikely alliance with the dominion." Jondar smartly carried on, as he flipped through the holographic files.  
  
Tassadar, who had kept his silence for a long time, rested his chins on his fingers. "What about Raynor? What about the renegade space pirates?" Tassadar asked.  
  
"Raynor... he can be trusted, but I'm not too certain about the pirates. It was the direct result of the Brood Wars that led to the formation of different renegade factions, and I think it's highly likely that the pirates may rush in to consolidate their gains when we even do defeat Kerrigan. The central protoss oligarchy and the terran dominion will be too weak to stop that." Jondar objected, as he started pacing up and down in deep thought.  
  
"This can't do and that can't do! When will we get to a decision?!" Zeratul fumed, his sudden outburst shocking both Artanis and Jondar. Tassadar hid yet another smile, as he noted the impetous and fiery temper. This was just the way the young Zeratul would have acted. Tassadar closed his eyes. Zeratul's anger will blow over quickly.  
  
"Calm down, Zeratul. There surely must be a solution. I'll try to make contact with Raynor, while Tassadar liase with the terran dominion for a military truce or alliance. You'll rally the templar and dark templars to infiltrate the planets bordering TORS-8. Jondar, ready the forces we have. If all things fail, we will try to stop Kerrigan. Either she perishes, or we do. Can we agree on that?" Artanis spoke broadly, fixing his gaze temporarily on each of the other three protoss.  
  
"One can only hope you are right, Artanis." Tassadar spoke solemnly, as Artanis shifted his gaze downwards.  
  
  
  
Time: One week after decimation of Battle Group Epsilon  
  
Location: Dominion Classified Airspace of TORS-7  
  
The battered and shaken remants of Battle Group Epsilon slowly and painfully hobbled into the boundaries of the relatively safe TORS-7. Commodore Zim paced about on the deck, occasionally stopping irritably to check on the course plotted. He had found dominion send signals on the surface of TORS-7, and he had chanced that it may be another remote mining colony, hopefully with a decent long range transmitter. What was left of the once mighty and glorious Battle Group was just a handful of barely operational wraiths, a battlecruiser with multiple hull breaches and ongoing explosions, and two battered and structurally unsound transports. He checked his movements, as reports streamed in from the scouting wraiths.  
  
"Omega one, what do you see, report!" barked Zim crisply, edging the comms officer aside.  
  
"We've spotted what seems to be a settlement on the planet surface... it seems undefended, the typical model of the dominion outlying sector designs. However, we've also noticed a shiny structure in the distance, and it's enveloped in a protective EMP shield. We can't get a fix on what's that. Over." Crackled back a bass voice.  
  
"Contact the – " Zim was cut off by a call from his ensign onboard.  
  
"Sir, the settlement seems to be hailing us. I'll patch you through."  
  
Zim gritted his teeth, annoyed, as the face of an imperious dominion commander replaced the radar imagery and star charts on the wide screen. Zim's facial expression changed from one of anger and annoyance to one of disbelief and surprise, as he quickly snapped a salute to the commander. What in the hell is a land commander doing so far away from the capital?  
  
Commander Zuckermann waved the salute off, as he commanded in a thick german accent, "May I ask what is a convoy doing out here straying?!"  
  
Zim grew stony, as he answered back through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry, Sir, but this is not a convoy. This is the remainder of Battle Group Epsilon. We have been instructed by Leader Mengsk to investigate the sudden zerg incursion in TORS-8, and it was there where those infernal creatures cut us up. We request immediate docking and maintenance crews."  
  
Zuckermann mulled for a moment, as he secretly typed out messages back to the dominion high command. The relay between Zuckermann and the high command went on for quite some time, as Zim was made to wait impatiently. By now, the ragtag group of aircraft had already been hovering over the settlement for ten minutes. Finally, an ultimatum came from the high command to Zuckermann.  
  
Battle Group Epsilon and its members must be annihilated at all costs. The whereabouts and presence of the classified project must not be known and identified by any other beings, neither zerg nor protoss and not even dominion terrans.   
  
Zuckermann's face paled as he read and comprehended the message. He looked away from Zim for a long time, as he contemplated on his following actions. Zuckermann felt remorse, but years of dominion reconditioning and military training had taught him how to weigh the pros and cons of his orders as compared to his conscience. He wheeled round to tell the inevitable to Zim, as he silently rolled his words through his mind again.  
  
Meanwhile, a total of twenty squadrons of dominion wraiths had decloaked themselves, hovering loosely in the atmospheric perimeter of TORS-7. Multiple ground sites on the surface of TORS-7 had revealed a total of over 400 missile turrets, thirty EMP shock guns and ten ion cannons. Two hidden hangars covering an entire expanse of 800 square kilometres exposed twenty battlecruisers, their brand new hulls glinting in the sunlight. Over a thousand ATS laser batteries trained their sights on the pathetically few aircraft in the air.  
  
"What is this, commander?! Why is the entire planet bristling with armaments and troops?!" shouted an ashen Zim, as he watched the steady procession of marines and goliaths snaking out of the 'settlement'. This could not have been just a backwater mining colony! The defenses here are almost as strong as those found on the orbiting moons revolving Korhal!  
  
"Unfortunately, you and your men had picked the wrong location to call for help... this is a top secret military dominion installation, and the orders are to eliminate all intruders, whether purposeful or accidental. Commodore Zim, it is your honor to have served the dominion, and now, the dominion needs your deaths! You and your men must be terminated, to prevent, ah, leaking of military intelligence." Zuckermann spoke plainly, before nodding to his comm captain on his left.  
  
"What the –" was Zim's last transmission before he was cut off from all dominion networks as his battlecruiser was rocked with gunfire and missile explosions. In a space of four minutes, Battle Group Epsilon ceased to exist, and there were only debris and flaming parts left.  
  
  
  
Time: Slightly less than two weeks after the decimation of Battle Group Epsilon  
  
Location: Dominion Palace, Korhal  
  
Arcturus grinned ferally as he rewatched the video feed on the destruction of Battle Group Epsilon. Fools. Of all the different Outer Rim sectors to go, that moron had to pick TORS-7. All the same, he got his just desserts, and I have got the intelligence and information I need. It had been so easy manipulating the media to hype and accredit the destruction of an entire dominion battle group to the marauding space pirates. This had not only reaffirmed the general populace's mindset regarding both Raynor and the pirates, and had secured myself all the political backing I need to launch a full scale assault at Raynor. He slowly flicked open an ornately designed cigarette lighter and watched as the stub of the cigarette burned crimson orange. He will have to do something about the zerg presence in TORS-8 soon.  
  
"Kerrigan... we meet again after all..." whispered Arcturus, leaning back on the velvet cushion sofa.  
  
  
  
Author's note: I will like to answer to some of the reviewer's questions. The reasons for Artanis being honoured as the exalted one were the result of the brood wars, and the largely successful cleansing of Aiur. Through his spirited leadership and guidance, the protoss race has survived yet another calamity. Thus, he was lauded with the title. As for the correction of the dominion capital, I will bear that in mind, and will do suitable alterations to my story. Meanwhile, I do need several suggestions for protoss names. Reviewers, do kindly post a few names as you review this latest chapter. 


	5. 4 Secret Weapons of War

Chapter 4: Secret Weapons of War

Time: Approximately two months after decimation of Battle Group Epsilon

Location: TORS-8, Central Zerg Hive

Kerrigan purred contentedly as she surveyed her screeching and roaring armies, now numbering over twelve million strong. It was time... time for Arcturus and his damned Terran Dominion to pay for what they had done to her. She had been silently nursing this grudge for these past years, with the only significant lashout on the sole backwater mining colony on TORS-8 a few months ago. Back then, she could not afford to make enemies, nor could she rupture past wounds... with both Raynor and Artanis. To quote a silly human, Sun Tzu, who died eons ago... "To know and have a firm grasp over your enemies is half the battle won... to know both yourself and your enemies is tantamount to securing victory." She could scarce afford yet another firm and astute tripartite alliance between these potentially divisive and untrusting factions. With a flick of her clawed finger, an entire new breed of Infested Terrans stepped forward in mechanical unison. These Infested Terrans still retained their original self-destruct function, but after Kerrigan's meticulous and intensive cross-breeding, these infernal monstrosities are now conceived through zerg larvae with carapaces as tough as ultralisks, and abilities such as wielding terran weaponry and psionically controlling targets. _You just have to admire the evolutionary adaptations of human beings... _smirked Kerrigan, as the Infested Terrans clasped their fists onto their chests and bowed subserviently.

* * *

Location: Uncharted territory beyond TORS-9

A lone planet sits pensively in the dark and murky space, untouched by the Dominion who had no use for it, untouched by the Protoss who scoffed at it, untouched by the Zerg for it's inhabitable nature. The barren surface seemed dry and windy, with argon as the main composition of the atmosphere. It was seemingly serene and undisturbed, just like the Saharic deserts back in faraway Earth. Just then, a Protoss Arbiter hovers above the land surface, as three Scouts and four Corsairs shimmered and materialized like tiny little dots atop a huge expanse of yellow. Klaxons began to blare loudly, as the tundra yellow ground opened up to reveal a teeming underground Terran base - Raynor's operating headquarters. _Ha,_ _no welcome party, _thought Artanis, shaking his head slightly. Suddenly, fifteen squadrons of over a hundred Wraiths decloaked all around the Protoss party, simultaneously rolling their wings in reverent salute. Miles down, infantry swarmed out unarmed and began whooping and waving. Raynor's face appeared over the Protoss comm screen, and he gave a wide and goofy grin.

"Kind of surprise, ain't it? News of the Praetor's arrival to our planet, named Sanctuary, goes down well with the general pirate populace. Ha ha ha ha!"

Artanis shook his head in disbelief and commented incredulously, "Raynor, by human standards, I believe you are already middle-aged. This display does injustice to what I perceived of you!"

"Awww, that's too bad. We'll cut the nonsense and get on with work. Kindly dock at the largest domed structure you can find. Raynor out." With a glad smile plastered on Raynor's face, the transmission ended.

"Praetor?", a Protoss ensign enquired.

"Sigh. Bring us down.", said Artanis, shaking his head yet again. Raynor's way of welcoming almost had him half frightened to death. With just a change of colour for the designs of the Wraiths from teal to white, the Protoss would have been ambushed and destroyed. He had to verbally order a trigger-happy Corsair commander from disrupting a squadron of Wraiths. He surveyed the entire base, his eyes tracking the various states of disrepair visible on the accompanying Wraiths. Dominion news was right after all. Raynor's Raiders were a sorry and ragtag group, and he feared that this group may eventually gain control of all he strived so hard in the past for. Wearily closing his eyes, he faintly heard the docking mechanisms creaking and connecting as the Scout affixed itself beside the domed Starport.

* * *

Location: D.B.R.F., TORS-7.

An old and wizened scientist greeted amiably the two Marines guarding Compound-1, or affectionately known as C-1. He nonchalantly passed his permit to one of the Marine, as the other Marine checked his gauss rifle irritably. The worn out permit read: Chen Lian Quan, Dominion Bioweaponry and Robotics Facilities ( D.B.R.F. ) Entry granted for: C-1. With a slight nod, the Marine punched a code into a panel beside the reinforced neosteel doors, which retracted slowly. Chen retrieved his permit and trotted into the structure before bypassing the common laboratories to a nondescript door. He punched in the appropriate code, and the door light switched from red to green. Chen clamped down hard on the handle and yanked the door backwards forcefully. With a whoosh of air, the door swung open, and Chen continued walking down the claustrophobic and enclosed corridor, pausing each time to look at the labels on huge secured entrances along it. The different labels all showed biohazard signs, stating that they were enclosed high security storage areas of Level 4 viruses - viruses with no vaccine and no effective treatment available, such as Lassa Fever, Ebola and E. Coli. _No vaccines do not equate to no cure... serums of people who survived these viruses are the helping antidotes, _thought Chen, as he strided broadly past these rooms straight towards the end of the hallway, where three Marines guarded a crimson red door. On first glance, the Marines seemed to be no different from others, but Chen knew that these were bio-engineered Medics turned Marines who were safely encapsulated in reinforced BIOHAZMAT armour. They carried not gauss rifles, but rather vespene flamethrowers. _Ha! Normal fire can't kill my babies... Damn the high temperatures of Vespene combustion... I'll find a way to preserve them and make them hardier to withstand the heat, _thought Chen, eyeing the flamethrowers irritably. After executing a smart salute, the Marine stepped aside and the door slid effortlessly open.

Chen inexorably continued his steady pace past the Marines. He was stopped briefly for a high-security retina scans, where four pulse cannon turrets tracked his every motion. With second level security cleared, the turrets retracted and Chen inserted his hand into the mold beside the last titanium-kevlar high density door. As his fingerprints were being verified, Chen idly scanned the label on the door: Level 5 Viruses. No treatment, no vaccines and no serums. The viruses contained inside were 'slate-wipers', guaranteeing total human deaths in two weeks. With a soft click and a hiss, the silvery white door slid open to reveal a preparation chamber containing 3 spacesuits and numerous pairs of reinforced kevlar rubber gloves. Chen hummed idly as he thought of the weaponizing of his own Marburg virus variant and prayed that today would be his lucky break. Meanwhile, he suited up, checking carefully for any holes or breaks in the spacesuit. Finally, he attached on the bulbous helmet, and for a moment it was extremely quiet inside until a soft steady whoosh of air signified that oxygen was pumping through. Chen slipped on two pairs of gloves, making sure that no part of his body was exposed before turning open the containment unit. He stepped into the containment unit and felt a nauseating drop in pressure as the room changed to anti-pressure inhospitable to both man and virus alike. He flexed his fingers as the last barrier to the virus laboratories beeped once and unclicked itself. He was in.

Chen immediately locked his feral eyes upon a batch of dead Zerglings, his evil grin widening as he inspected them. Good. The Marburg Variant Dominion ( MVD ) had proven to be able to survive in dead cells and tissues for up to two years, all thanks to robotics venturing and splicing introduced in the genetical makeup of the virus. Furthermore, the insertion of nanotechnology and robotics had led the viruses to be intelligent; a cowering and trembling human clad in Dominion Marine armor had not been infected. Now for the grand final test. After weeks of induced evolution and engineering, two small vials of nanotech MVD had been cultured. These jewels had the ability to latch onto armor and burrow their way through before infecting the host, not unlike the way Terrans are infested. He slotted a vial into a machine, and proceeded to examine his other 'pets'. A skeletal figure of a man lay sagging in a flimsy metal cage, with thick viscous blood interspersed with foul virus bacteriums poured out of his pores, ranging from his eyes to his bare skin. Even his bald scalp was bleeding inexorably in continuous stream which confluenced down his gaunt and dishevelled face. Chen looked on detachedly and was brought back to reality with by a soft ding. Chen paced towards the machine he had left alone and critically examined the end product. One vial of MVD had just been weaponised to form one million biological gauss rounds. In a matter of tens of seconds, the ammunition mass produced had been enough to equip approximately a Dominion Marine Division of a thousand men. The Beloved Leader, Arcturus Mengsk, will be tremendously pleased.

* * *

Author's note: I'm extremely sorry for not updating the story... I had many other commitments such as my upcoming GCE O levels and my girlfriend. I promise to continue bringing the best out of me for everyone, but I do hope you readers can stand the long wait of a month or so before I add another addition to my Starcraft chronicles.


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